FORMER Champions League winner Paul Lambert believes Celtic have got a point to make in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Ange Postecoglou’s men face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Polish capital in their second game in Group F of Europe’s elite competition.
The Hoops, of course, lost 3-0 in Glasgow to Real Madrid last week at the same time the Ukrainians – with ex-Parkhead flop Marian Shved claiming a double – were trouncing RB Leipzig 4-1 in Germany.
One-time club captain Lambert, who won the main prize with Borussia Dortmund before joining Celtic in 1997, warned: “I think it’s a dangerous game. I said that when the draw was made.
MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS…Paul Lambert leaves Andy Goram helpless as he lashes in Celtic’s second goal in the 2-0 win over Rangers on January 2 1998 as Wim Jansen’s men take a step towards the title to halt the Ibrox 10-in-a-row bid.
HOOP HOOP HOORAY…Paul Lambert and Tom Boyd celebrate in style after the midfielder’s scorching drive.
“I thought Shakhtar was going to be dangerous because it’s unknown in terms of what you’re up against.
“The players and manager will know, but I think people on the outside will look in and go ‘it’s only Shakhtar’. But they’ve gone to Leipzig and won 4-1 and will be buoyant because of that.
“It’s a dangerous, dangerous game. If Celtic win, it will be a brilliant result, but I’m pretty sure if they got a point, they’d take that and then they can, hopefully, take care of their next home game against Leipzig.”
Lambert, speaking to STV, continued: “They just need to get over that wee hurdle where they can get points away from home in the Champions League to get you through to the next round.
“At Celtic Park, I think they can match most. Of course, the result against Madrid was disappointing, but the way Celtic played was good.
“However, what can happen is the bigger teams and the big players come here and thrive on the atmosphere, which Madrid did last week.
“I think they came here with their chests puffed out and went ‘have a bit of this’.”
A BIG HAND…Ange Postecoglou has “handled the club brilliantly”, according to Paul Lambert.
On the domestic front, Lambert has been impressed with his old club with the champions already five points clear at the Premiership pinnacle after just six games and have scored 25 goals in their 100 per cent surge through their league encounters.
They also notched up four strikes in their win over Ross County in Dingwall to set up a Premier Sports League Cup quarter-final against Motherwell at Fir Park on Wednesday October 19.
The 40 times-capped former Scotland international midfielder, now 53, added: “League-wise, they’ve done great to put themselves in their current position.
“Performance-wise, the way the lads are playing and where the club’s going under manager Ange Postecoglou, everything’s really good at the moment.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, Celtic are stronger than they were last season. After a few games last year everybody was calling for Ange to go, which was incredible, but that’s life in Glasgow for you.
“The guy has come in and handled the club brilliantly, taken everything on his shoulders and the team looks really good.”
* Paul Lambert was speaking at the launch of Mastermind, the autobiography of Wim Jansen who passed away in January at the age of 75. The Dutchman won the league title in his only season as Celtic manager in 1997-98.
